


There's something I like about you

by loudloudandloud



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Bottom Louis, Enemies to Lovers, Fluffy Smut, Hand Jobs, Louis' wearing st pauli merch all the time, M/M, Radio Host Louis, Rimming, Top Harry, and harry wears a plug at work, and i hope it makes a bit sense, because apparently he and ed are fans of a german football club, did i forget anything else?, i feel like that's becoming a pattern, i've done it!, nick and greg hate each other, oh i forgot something, probably, radio host harry, so let's go, so louis can't have harry and stuff, well not really enemies but you know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 09:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5200037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loudloudandloud/pseuds/loudloudandloud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“'m not tiny”. </p><p>“Yes, you are”, Harry answers and pushes himself from the counter, making a step into Louis' direction. “And I think you like it, being tiny. Most of the time you're pretending to be much bigger than you are, making fun of everyone and everything and being bossy, but I think that you'll like it if someone tells you what to do. Or if someone holds you. Takes care of you. Treats you as the tiny person you are.” </p><p>-</p><p>Harry and Nick have a radio show together and Greg and Louis's show is right after theirs. Greg and Nick absolutely despise each other and of course there's a rule that doesn't allow Harry and Louis to fuck or even fall in love with each other. Unfortunately, they do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's something I like about you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Larry_Shipper6400](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Shipper6400/gifts).



> First of all, I'm so, SO sorry for being this late! I already knew three weeks ago that I wouldn't make it, but I somehow wanted to finish this last week :(  
> Turned out this thing became much longer than planned, so actually there's that. 
> 
> The prompt comes from Larry_Shipper6400: 
> 
> Harry and Grimmy have a radio show together and Louis and Greg have their own too at the same station. Greg and Grimmy absolutely despise each other and secretly Harry and Louis are pining after each other. Insert meddling friends Niall and Liam who make H&L realise their true feelings for each other and make Grimmy&Greg become friends for H&L's sake.  
> Also bottom!louis and fluffy smut.
> 
> I hope you'll like it, I really do. It was hard in the beginning, but I became friends with the prompt during the progress :)  
> I tried to make this half plot, half smut, but the prompt actually wasn't made for this, but I think it's close enough.  
>  
> 
> This is NOT beta-read yet, but I will edit it as soon as it is. 
> 
> Have fun reading, I hope you'll enjoy!

On the day it happens for the first time Louis has slept two hours, his tea isn't brewed in the right way, the weather is as cold as it's rainy and Louis' eyes are still sparkling with happiness. He's wearing the black and comfy sweater he bought a few hours ago with Ed in Hamburg, just before heading back to the airport to fly back home in the middle of the night. He already has three or more of this exact [same sweater](http://www.stpaulinu.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/prd_maxzoom_celtic-66351.jpg) with the white lettering and skull on it in his drawer, but he felt cold and Ed has even more of them, so there's that. It was a good trip to Hamburg, with the insane victory of their favourite footie club St. Pauli and with partying the whole weekend through.

Now it's early in the morning, Louis is half an hour late to work and he doesn't expect Harry Styles to be the first human he's spotting in the corridor. Harry is looking at him like he hadn't expect it either, but then he just smirks and nods at his sweater. Louis is sure that he's going to make a shitty comment about him being _this_ late or looking like shit, because Louis knows he _does_ due to the lack of sleep, but he didn't care about it up until now. What Harry says is “So, it's one of these days, then.”

And really? Louis could say the same, since Harry looks like sex on legs despite of being up since three o'clock in the night. And it's really often one of these days and if it isn't, then it's one of these days where Harry looks all soft and cute and beautiful. He looks soft and cute and beautiful too today and Louis thinks that he looks everything everyday. That he _is_ everything everyday.

He can't say this, so he just shoots Harry a grumpy look from where he is standing in the door leading to the studios, pulls the sleeves of his sweater down to hide his hands in it and considers to say nothing at all. But Harry's mouth twitches into something close to a smile while looking at his sweater paws and Louis can't help himself.

“Why aren't you on air?”, and he wants to sound snappy and maybe even annoyed by Harry's pure existence, but fails completely. He sounds raspy and way too soft and it causes Harry to smile all openly at him now.

“Had a wee.” Harry shrugs and yeah, of course, he always needs to attend the loo at least one time per show. Louis clings to his travel mug of falsely brewed Yorkshire like it's his life and tries to walk away, but he can't. He just stays there, watching Harry watching him and thinks that he is too late anyway.

“So”, Harry says, in the same time as Louis wants to open his mouth and he laughs. Louis laughs too, even if he doesn't exactly know why. And to be honest, he doesn't even know what he wanted to say in the first place.

“You're having a mod text or are you just free styling again?” Harry seems like he's seriously interested in Louis' work as a radio host and Louis just cocks an eyebrow at him. At least he's still able to do this. Also he wants to snap at him for even asking this question, when he knew that he's been to Hamburg the whole weekend, but then a studio door opens and Nick's head pops out.

“Harry, you're coming back in or what, the news are nearly over!”, he shouts, sees Louis and frowns. “Ugh.” He makes the noise he always makes when seeing Louis and Louis really wants to 'ugh' back. Harry chuckles, because he still finds all of this absolutely hilarious and Louis just sighs, before leaving Harry behind.

“Good morning, nice weekend?”, he says without looking at Nick, while passing him in the studio door, gives him the finger and flees towards the office he shares with Greg.

**

“And did you know that they have this [graffiti of two kissing guys](http://www.pinkchannel.net/sendungen/SE130713/stpauligestaltung.jpg) in their arena, with the motto 'only love counts' next to it, isn't this beautiful?” Louis is still happy and he thinks that the whole country deserves to know this.

“Yes, actually all of us knew, because you instagramed and tweeted it yesterday”, Greg says and rolls his eyes. And. He is right. But still.

“No but really, you'll never feel more safe as a queer fan than in this arena! The atmosphere is always so powerful and intense, but also so lovely and welcome. You should give it a try one day, Greg. And you lot out there, too!” Louis can see Greg rolling his eyes again, but he knows and Louis knows and everybody knows that Louis' regular talk about this one German football club is beloved by the audience. It also made them the most listened to show of Radio 1 (and other international radio stations) in Germany, so nobody can exactly blame Louis for never shutting up about his passion.

“Okay Louis, you have two songs now _and_ the news to calm down of your high about this club, so good luck with that”, Greg tells the country and Louis is out of the studio before Greg's even finished with announcing the next song. Louis might be still on a happy high from his weekend, but this doesn't mean that he's not tired and in a permanent need of tea in the morning. They're on air now for nearly an hour, the takeover from Nick and Harry's morning show went as bitchy as always and he isn't sure whether he'll make it to the next ten minutes without a sip of hot tea.

When he enters the tea kitchen nearest to the studios, Harry is standing with his back to him in it and boils some water. Louis blinks. He is not meant to be randomly stumbling in Harry this often and he sure doesn't know what to say to him. The conversation they had this morning was awkward enough and Louis doesn't need another of this. Usually, they only speak with each other at work when there are Greg and Nick in the same room and than it's always the same snappy banter. Of course, they never take it as seriously as Greg and Nick do, always with a bit more of a joke to it than the others, because they don't hate each other like these two, but in the end Louis wouldn't consider them as friends. Greg doesn't want him to be friends with Nick's co-host and Louis is sure that Nick has a similar rule set up for Harry. All of this doesn't mean that Louis is immune to Harry's beauty and charm.

“Why are you still here?”, is the first thing to say that comes to his mind. Harry turns around, gracefully and grinning. Why is he grinning?

“Had a chat with Nick after the show. Stayed in a bit then, listened to yours.”, Harry says as it's the most normal thing in the world. It still doesn't answer Louis question. Why is Harry still here, when he normally goes home after his show to have a few more hours of sleep, and listens to the show his best friend, co-host and maybe fuck buddy hates?

“I like it when you're talking about footie. You're always so passionate, it's a joy listen to it.” Louis blinks again. “Also I could hear in your voice that you're in need of a tea, so I thought I make you some. It's nearly ready. So you definitely can have a sip, before you have to be back on air.” Harry smiles at him while pouring the hot water into Louis' St. Pauli mug.

“Uhm”, is everything Louis can say and somehow he manages it to make a step into the kitchen. The door falls shut behind him. Harry is looking at the steaming mug while murmuring “I also like it when you're wearing your Pauli merch. Makes you look all soft and cute. Tiny, even. Because you always seem to buy them oversized.”

Harry's deep and rough voice washes over his whole body and Louis wonders how he's even able to stand still on his legs. It doesn't make sense, what Harry's saying, none of it and yet it has an immense reaction on Louis, makes him feel hot and cold at the same time. He is sure that his cheeks are starting to flush now, and really, he is in his mid-twenties and not a bloody virgin any more. He wants to answer something, make Harry flush too, wants to clear this room from this tension, but all he says is a small “'m not tiny”.

“Yes, you are”, Harry answers immediately and pushes himself from the counter, making a step into Louis' direction. “And I think you like it, being tiny. Most of the time your pretending to be much bigger than you are, making fun of everyone and everything and being bossy, but I think that you'll like it if someone tells you what to do. Or if someone holds you. Takes care of you. Treats you as the tiny person you are.”

Louis decides that it's finally enough when Harry stands directly in front of him. He pokes his finger into his chest, right over the stupid butterfly tattoo, and says, with a weak laugh “and you think that you're going to be that person?”

“Mmh”, is all Harry makes and then Louis is trapped between him and the wall. Harry is ridiculous close now, and suddenly Louis can't hold it back any more. The dreams, the sneaky thoughts, all of them, which he tried to hold back for such a long time, are crashing over him know. The thoughts he had while listening to his voice in the radio while showering, the wishes he had while seeing him half naked at a pool party, and the constant need in his fingers to touch him every morning, at every take over. He breathes out and it's all shaky and he looks up to Harry, to see his green eyes burning into his, and then there is his mouth. Louis' hands fly up to grab into Harry's long and beautiful curls and Harry crashes into him.

They bite more than they kiss, harshly and sharp, and Louis thinks that if he already kisses his supposed rival, it really should be like this. Harry's hands are as big as they're sneaky, wandering over Louis' body, his back, his side, to finally grab his bum and hoist him up against the wall. It's like a natural instinct how Louis' legs come together behind Harry's back and how he holds onto him even tighter. It also seems quite natural how Harry moves against him, ramming his hips against Louis' groin and he can't help but moan a bit into Harry's mouth.

“Imagined you fucking me”, Louis confesses and tries to pull him closer. Harry groans and keeps moving his hips.

“Yeah?”, he asks and it's breathless and kind of helpless, too. Louis nods and crashes his mouth onto Harry's again, taking his bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling on it, mumbling a “dreamt also about fucking you”. Harry shivers and his grip on Louis' arse tightens.

“I'd let you, you know”, he murmurs and Louis cocks an eyebrow, while licking into Harry's mouth.

“You would?”, he breathes and starts kissing his jaw, leaving little bites until he reaches his ear. He untangles one hand from Harry's curls and brings it to Harry's arse, right there, where his crack lies under his skintight black jeans. “Would let me fuck you hard and rough, just as I'd like it? Here and now?” He whispers it into Harry's ear, all raspy and low and Harry shakes, while pushing his body more into Louis' and Louis somehow wonders, when wanting a tea turned into a fucking porn video.

“Mh”, Harry makes and bites into Louis' neck, “would let you have me here and now. If I wouldn't be wearing a plug this morning.”

“Jesus, fuck, Harry!”, is all Louis can moan, high and loud in his throat, while Harry lets out a breathy laugh.

“Also, you need to be on air again in a few minutes”, Harry remembers him, but all Louis can think is 'please, _please_ don't leave me like this'. Luckily, Harry has no such thing in mind. He brings one hand from Louis' arse to his front, starts fiddling with the buttons of his jeans and Louis shouldn't feel this save being hold in the air by only one of Harry's hands. It turns out that Harry is incredibly clumsy, how he fumbles with both of their trousers at the same time, while still keeping up his thrusts against Louis.

“Let me”, he rasps and pushes Harry's hand away, opens Harry's jeans first, before unbuttoning his own. Before he can even bring his hand down Harry's pants, Harry already has his sneaky one in Louis', stroking over his hard cock. Louis shivers, his head falling back against the wall, and he really wants to do the same to Harry, wants to have those mutual handjobs. But again Harry is much faster than him, bringing his own dick out of his pants and wraps his hand around both of their lengths. Louis thinks it's quite ridiculous how insanely strong Harry is, with holding Louis up against the wall with one hand, while stroking their cocks in the other. He can do not much more than cling to Harry like a little monkey, looking at his obscene, dark red lips and his even darker eyes, little noises escaping his exposed throat. On which Harry starts sucking now, nibbles at his skin to leave a nice, dark mark on him.

“Fuck, Harry”, he swears as Harry spits into his hand after leaving his throat before bringing it back to their dicks, wrapping it around them again. He gets faster and sloppier, matching with Louis' louder moans, and it should be embarrassing how soon this is going to be over. But when Harry follows Louis with his orgasm, coming all over Louis' already in cum covered sweater, it's all breathy laughter and grinning faces.

“So”, Harry says and his voice should be forbidden, “this just happened.” And Louis wants to laugh a bit more with Harry, but then he freezes. Right. This _really_ just happened.

“Uhm”, he makes and how is he supposed to go back on air with this post-orgasm voice. “I should be going, I guess. The audience probably misses me already.” It sounds pathetic, really, and something in Harry's eyes tells him that Harry thinks so, too. He lets him down and Louis' legs are shaking when he finally stands again on the floor.

“Right”, Harry says and frowns a bit. Then he looks down onto Louis' sweater and nods at it. “I have some shirts in my office, you can borrow one if you'd like to.”

“As long as it's none of your flowery crazy ass shirts”, he says and thankfully gets another small smile from Harry.

“Just wait a bit and drink your tea, I'll get one” and before Louis can say something he's tugged himself back into his pants and is out of the kitchen. So. This is awkward, Louis decides, but can't help but think that it was anything else than that, before he said something about having to go back to work. Because even if he still doesn't entirely understands what happened, he can't deny that it was way to easy and good from the point where they started kissing to where they both came on Louis' sweater. It was just like they knew what to do with each other, they just fit together. And that's something that scares him a lot.

**

Liam finds him lying on the couch, a ratty reality show on the telly and a bottle of beer in his lap.

“And I thought you were having a great weekend in Hamburg”, Liam says and throws himself on Louis' legs. He could bother looking up, but the label of the bottle is much more interesting.

“Hmpf”, he makes and wiggles his toes underneath Liam's bum, peeling a tiny bit off of the label. It gets stuck underneath his fingernail and Louis hates his life. He hates it even more when Liam just grabs the bottle from his hands and finishes it with one long gulp.

“You want another?”, Liam asks and Louis shrugs. Honestly, he is much more in the mood for ice cream now, but if he says so, Liam would know that something's up.

“Or is it an ice cream kind of day?” Sometimes Louis has the urge to become religious just so he could thank a god for the blessing that is Liam. He nods and three minutes later he has a spoon with strawberry cheesecake ice cream between his lips. They sit there in silence for a few minutes, chewing their ice cream and Louis' strictly ignoring Liam's obvious glances.

“Didn't you want to go to Niall's today? Help him with some stuff?”, Louis says after some time, because the silence gets more ridiculous with every passing second.

“Nah, he dumped me for lunch with Harry”, Liam throws quite casually into the room and Louis tries his best to not think about the cum covered sweater in his laundry box. He fails completely and he can already feel the flush starting to creep up his neck. Why the fuck are his best friends such assholes and are also friends with the smoking hot and charming enemy?

“Well”, Liam makes and Louis just groans. Sometimes Louis hates that he knows Liam for nearly his whole life now and he hates even more that Liam exactly knows what guys Louis' into. He knows Louis has a thing for tall, pretty boys and likes long and fluffy hair. He still always hoped somehow that Liam has no clue about his helpless crush on Harry. And hell, Louis isn't even sure whether he can call it a crush. It's just. Just Harry.

“So, has it finally occur to you how much Harry is your type and how desperately you want to shag him?” Liam has no right to sound this smug and proud of himself. He considers to throw a pillow at his stupid face, but he gave him ice cream and that wouldn't be nice at all. So he just grabs said pillow and cuddles it to his chest and shoots a glare at Liam.

“Mpfh”, he makes and isn't even sure what he wanted to transfer with this noise in the first place. Suddenly Liam's eyes get bigger as he stares at Louis. Or more. As he stares at his throat. Louis is fast to bury his jaw into the pillow, but apparently, he's not fast enough.

“Is that”, Liam breathes, “is that a love bite?”

“No, it's not”, Louis hisses and tries to kick Liam with his foot. It's weak and he barely reaches Liam's thigh anyway. Liam grabs his foot and holds it still while leaning forward, reaching for the pillow and tugs on it. He doesn't manage to entirely steal it from Louis, but it's seemingly still enough to catch another glimpse of the mark Harry left there.

“Oh, it totally is a love bite”, Liam grins and makes this stupid whistle noise he makes, since he first discovered with thirteen that sexual attraction is a thing. Then he stills again, blinks. A manic grin settles on his lips and Louis doesn't care about the ice cream any more and just shoves the pillow in Liam's face.

“You so shagged Harry”, Liam cries muffled from underneath the pillow and finally releases it from Louis' hands. He gives him the death stare and Louis isn't sure why he didn't left the room minutes ago.

“You shagged Harry Styles.” Liam sounds like he's just solved a Sherlock Holmes-like mystery and Louis lets his gaze wander in search for another pillow. Unluckily, the rest of their stock lie all on Liam's side of the couch.

“I did not!”, he protests, because well, he didn't. Not in the literal meaning of the word. Liam leans forward to poke him in the chest.

“But there was some funny business involved”, he insists and Louis just shakes his head and wonders, when his life became such ridiculous. He must give a pathetic image, with an ice cream bowl in his lap, nothing to hold on and a t-shirt two seizes to big clinging on him, because Liam pouts at him and brotherly starts patting his foot. After a while, Louis doesn't see the meaning in denying any more, so he just mumbles “maybe a bit”.

There's a moment where Louis thinks that Liam's going to erupt in cheers because he was right, but in the end, Liam is Liam and Liam is practically a huge fluffy golden retriever. So he just blinks at Louis with his big, brown eyes and gives his foot another pat.

“Not good?”, he asks and Louis looks down at his ice cream and shakes his head.

“'s not that it wasn't good”, he mumbles and starts nibbling at his lip. Just thinking at Harry's huge hands, wrapped about both of their cocks, could get him hot all over again. But for now the only reason for the blush on his cheeks is this awkward situation, where he actually has to talk to Liam. Who squeezes Louis' foot to show him to go on.

“I mean … what should I do now?” It's a pretty stupid question and Liam looks like he's going to tell him just that. But he doesn't.

“What did you say to him after, hm?”, is what he says instead and Louis can hear that he expects the worst. Which … is somehow right.

“Well”, he groans and buries his head in his hands, “it was during the news, okay?” Liam cocks an eyebrow, mumbling a quiet “weird” under his breath. Louis hears in anyway and yes, maybe Liam is right. Because who the fuck fucks during the news time?

“I think he actually waited there for me. Planned it even.” Which he only considered now, to be quite honest. He can't help but shuffle a huge amount of ice cream in his mouth. Liam continues to be his nice, doggy self and waits patiently for him to go on.

“And yeah, after he got me one of his shirts, because … um”, he stops and already finds Liam smirking at him, “well, you know _why_.”

“Because he jizzed on yours?”, Liam grins and looks like an adolescent boy all over again. Louis shakes off his hand from his foot and gives him a kick right after.

“Anyway, after I got his shirt -”

“Which you're still wearing, if my eyes don't deceive me.” Another kick and a stupid cackle.

“That's not even the point, Liam!” Except for how it is very much the point. “He got me his shirt and I just … I told him that I'd see him tomorrow at takeover. “ Which sounds even more stupid now that he repeats it again. Liam seems to think the same and steals the ice cream out of Louis' lap.

“That … was probably not that nice?”, Liam mumbles with the spoon stuck between his lips. Louis nods.

“I know”, he groans and because there's no pillow left in his reach, he shuffles over to Liam and leans against him. Because at the end of the day, they're both just some cuddly best mates who like to cry together over boys and sometimes girls. “But what should I've said instead, Li?”

Liam blinks down at him like he's said something stupid. “Maybe that it was nice and you want to do it again? Or ask him out or something if you feel like it? God, Louis, 's not like you've never done this before!” But. He never _was_ in such a position before. Where a not-straight guy was taboo for him.

“He's taboo?”, Louis answers and it's now his turn to make Liam feel stupid with his look. Somehow he can tell that it's not working.

“Says who?”

“Nick?”

“And?” Liam doesn't seem to get it at all.

“He hates me? And Greg? I work with Greg? Harry works with Nick?”, he says all of this very slowly to make it extra understandable. To be honest, it makes him feel like an idiot.

“So? Just ignore it, you idiot.” Seems like they're on the same side.

“It's not _this_ easy, god!”, he huffs and throws a hand in the air. He can't, he won't, so there's that.

**

They don't talk with each other outside the takeover. Sometimes Louis catches himself while looking at him too long or he flinches by surprise if Harry laughs a bit too much over his jokes on air for just laughing about them for work.

Nobody mentions Harry's shirt. It still lies somewhere in Louis' room, smelling like Harry.

**

It's nearly three weeks after the incident and Louis' on a party in Greg's posh loft, planning go get proper waisted. He has Ed and Liam by his side, Niall wants to join them in a bit and he just smells that it's going to be a fun night. Currently Liam's getting them some drink, Ed rolls his first joint of the night and Louis' busy deciding whether they should go out on the balcony or not. In the end the balcony wins, so they stroll outside to mix in with the other guests.

It's pretty cold, but Greg's set up some patio heaters, so it's quite bearable. Also it's a good thing that Greg seems to be nowhere near them, as Niall suddenly joins them on the balcony. With Harry right behind him. Who's wearing one of his crazy pattern shirts, buttoned down so it reveals his butterfly tattoo.

“Harry”, Liam belts out, “so good you made it!” And … Louis has the uncomfortable feeling that he's the only one who didn't now about Harry being here tonight too. On Greg's party. Which … is a contradiction in itself. He sips on his drink quite hastily, while watching Ed and Liam hugging Harry and then there's nobody left to greet him. Except for him. He downs his drink, before tossing it careless to a random high table next to him and finally faces Harry.

“Didn't expect seeing you here, _mate_ ”, he says and leans forward to give Harry bravely a laddy one arm hug. It's awkward, but Louis is still proud of himself.

“Yeah, Liam asked me”, Harry tells him, which. Interesting. Louis glances to his side to see Liam smirking at him. “So I thought I'd give it a go.”

Louis is definitely not into Harry's deep voice right next to his ear, _definitely not_.

“Yeah, nice story, bro. Good seeing you here, though”, he says and manages to sound like he's not on fire because of his entire existence. He pats him rather manly on the back, excuses himself and searches for some other people working at Radio 1. His squad doesn't seem to be on his side this night anyway.

He stumbles into Harry later that night, as he makes his way back from the loo to the bar, _because apparently Greg is posh enough for a bar in his house_. Before Louis can reconsider his action, he already has a hand clutched in his silky shirt, pulling the material down a bit. Harry's right nipple appears directly in front of Louis' face.

“Hiiii”, he giggles, more to Harry's nipple than to Harry himself. But. He just can't help himself. It's such a _pretty_ nipple. All pink and nice and … erected. Louis wants to touch it.

“Hi yourself”, comes the answer from above Louis' head. He looks up. Right. Harry. He giggles again, while patting his chest with one of his hands. Harry smiles at him, which is good. Smiley Harry is always good. Louis likes smiley Harry. Even when he says stupid things like “I think you might be a little drunk.” Which. He is not. Maybe a bit tipsy.

“I'm just a bit tipsy. Maybe”, he says and blinks up at Harry. He really is pretty. Louis wants to touch not only his nipples. He also wants to touch Harry's hair. There's a springy lock right in front of him, so Louis reaches up and pulls on it, so that it straightens out a bit. Lightly and gently of course. He wouldn't want to hurt Harry or his shiny hair. He lets go of it and it jumps in the air again, springing funny before Louis' face and gets curly all over again. Louis can't help himself than coo at it, before starting giggling all over again.

“Right, just tipsy”, Harry hums and huh. There's a hand on Louis' back. Louis brings all of his willpower together to turn his head around to see who's touching him there.

“Oi oi, it's your hand”, Louis explains Harry, because it's a thing Harry should know. Harry just nods, humming some more. Maybe he's a bee.

“It's a good hand”, he tells Harry, right as Harry's starting to walk. And Louis walks with him, because there's this hand of Harry's on his back, leading him, and Louis isn't sure whether Harry knows that his hand is leading him, but in the end he doesn't really care. It really is a good hand, leading him safe through a room full of people Louis doesn't want to talk to. Also the touch on his back makes him feel warm.

Louis doesn't really care where Harry leads him to, but he registers them taking a halt on the bar. He watches Harry talking to the barkeeper without listening, because just the tone of Harry's voice and the way his lips are moving is enough of a soothing feeling to Louis. He could really, _really_ listen to Harry talking all day, no matter what's the topic he's talking about. After Harry received two glasses of the barkeeper, he begins to move again and Louis moves with him automatically, even if Harry isn't leading him any more. He moves with him like sand at the river bottom moves with the floating water. Finally it's the terrace again where the river empties.

“I hope it's not too cold for you” Harry mumbles and places the glasses on a nice garden table in front of a padded bank. He then sits down, patting the space next to him to signal Louis to join him. Louis can do this. He plops down and immediately gets close, grinning up at him from where he's plastered against Harry's side.

“Nah, you're a good heater.” He says it seriously, because Harry really is. Very warm and comfy. Harry just smiles at him.

“So, what's you've got us on the bar?”, Louis asks and makes grabby hands towards the drinks on the table. Some more alcohol would make him feel even warmer.

“'s just water”, Harry tells him and Louis wants to protest, wants to call him stupid, because this _is_ stupid, water is always stupid, when you can have vodka instead, but Harry's eyes are right there in front of him and there are green and it's. Just okay.

“Okay”, Louis makes and takes one of the glasses and passes it to Harry, before taking the other one for himself. He takes a tiny sip. It's not right, but it's bearable. Harry cocks his head a little, watching him intensely, so Louis feels warmer. Without alcohol. Harry than shakes his head a bit, before saying “I thought it'd take more to convince you to drink it.”

Louis looks at him, while reaching out and starting touching the silk shirt. It's very smooth underneath his finger tips and he kind of wants to know how it'd feel against his lips. “Really? What?”

“A kiss”, Harry says, without batting an eyelash. Louis giggles again, absently touching his own lips. It's like he suddenly feels Harry there again.

“A kiss?”, he breathes out questioningly.

“Yeah.” Louis feels his last touches everywhere. “But you did good enough without one.” He wants to be the only thing being touched by Harry.

“Will I get one later?” Louis feels awfully tiny asking this.

“Maybe”, Harry laughs, quietly and sweet and Louis remembers that Harry likes him tiny, that's it something Harry actually said. He blinks.

“I like it when you're tipsy”, Harry says and Louis might really be tipsy, but doesn't feel like it any more. He feels like being in the tea kitchen again and he feels like a tiny treasure, something only Harry wants to explore. “You're getting touchy and giggly and you're flushing all the time, which I don't think you notice. You're much more open while being tipsy. Don't seem to care any more what others think. You just do, what you want, in a charming way. Not pushy, just charming. Just you.”

Louis wants to take Harry's hand. He does. Louis wants to kiss Harry. He doesn't. Louis wants to go home with Harry, so he asks.

“Leave this place with me”, he says and Harry looks, like everything's happening in the right way. Like he really, really wants this. So they do.

**

It's a good thing that Liam's sleeping at Niall's, Louis thinks as Harry kisses him deep and pushes him against the wall in the corridor. Also it's the only thing Louis can think about, before everything else blurs in a giant chant of _Harry, Harry, Harry_ in his mind. Louis feels like Harry's wrapped around him, heat and touches and little, breathy sounds. His arms are tight around Louis' small body, one hand in his hair, one on his bum, and his fingers never still. They're pulling on his hair, squeezing his bum and Louis' sure that he'd melt, if Harry wouldn't hold him this safe and strong.

“Bedroom”, Louis manages to murmur between a deep kiss and a gentle bite at his jaw and his voice is free from the tipsy slur it had on the party. It's a bit like Harry's kissed all of the alcohol out of his body, which is nonsense, but he can see and feel so much clearer now. The gentle buzz of being drunk is still there, somewhere in his blood, but Harry's kisses leave so much more in him.

“Okay”, Harry breathes with a small moan against Louis' lip and then he's lifting him up again, starts carrying him.

“This way”, Louis shows him and giggles, because it's so good to be carried by Harry. He wraps his legs tightly around his waists and pulls at his hair, while plastering his face with lots of open mouthed kisses, more laughter than anything else.

“I like it when you want it”, Harry murmurs and Louis shivers against him.

“God yes, and how much I want it”, he manages to say, just before Harry kicks the door open to Louis' bedroom and he has no chance at all to brace himself, before Harry throws him onto the bed. The breath's knocked out of his body and he isn't even sure whether it's because of the fall or the sight he has. Harry standing there, illuminated only from the light in the corridor, shining like a arch angel which just came back from war. His hair's messy, his shirt's now completely unbuttoned and his shoulders rise and fall with every deep breath. Louis wonders for a brief moment whether it makes him the devil because of his want to wreck this angel Harry Styles totally is. The thought that it'll make them both brothers, what with Lucifer being an arch angel too, makes the idea disappear again within a second.

“Come here”, Louis says in exactly the same moment Harry says “Fuck, look at you” and it shouldn't be so hot at all. Then there's Harry on the bed, crawling up to him, and his eyes shine lustful and dark.

“Get your shirt of for me”, Harry demands, right before he's directly hovering over Louis and Louis isn't really sure how he's doing it, but he pulls at the clingy material on his upper body until it's laying on the floor beside the bed. His skinnys and his socks join it within a few seconds and then Louis' only left in his pants, with Harry's hand all over his naked torso.

“So stunning”, Harry whispers, before finally leaning down to leave kisses all over Louis' chest. Louis expects him to be wild and to leave marks all over him, to bite more than kiss, but it's nothing of this. It's soft and gentle, light touches of his lips near his nipple, tiny breathes against his skin and warm hands caressing his sides. He doesn't expect Harry to be this gingerly with him, not after they're first hook-up and definitely not before, and yet here he is, hands in Harry's curls and head thrown back, overwhelmed with all the tenderness.

“Fuck”, Louis breathes out, as Harry rolls his left nipple between his lips, slightly biting down on it, while holding his sides steady, and Louis kind of wants to feel guilty. _Fuck_ really isn't a fitting word in this atmosphere, but his brain just can't produce anything else.

“'s okay”

Louis shivers, the words whispered against his neck, as Harry kisses a trail upwards, feathery and Louis feels like Harry's set him to heaven. Without actually doing much. It's just Harry, with his face right in front of him, lips shiny and lightly open, staring into Louis' soul. Louis can't help himself, leans up for a kiss and wonders if he looks as desperate as he's feeling. He doesn't really care. Harry's lips are on his again, sweet and soft, and it's a bit like drinking a posh, red wine.

Louis gasps loudly as Harry leans back a bit and suddenly he flips him over, and then he is face down into the pillow and that's something he didn't expect either. The way Harry's hand traces his spine, down to the small of his back, lingering there. Then Louis hears shuffling, can also feel the way the mattress gives way underneath Harry's body, and he isn't sure whether he wants to turn his head to see what's going to happen or to just stay there and let _it_ happen.

It's when Harry's places his big hands on Louis' cheeks, pulling his cheeks slightly apart, that he actually whimpers into the pillow. The sound is high and somehow vulnerable and Harry let's go of his cheeks immediately.

“Oh god, sorry! Was it too much, fuck, I should have asked first”, he tells Louis hastily, his voice nervous and he sounds sincerely concerned. Louis groans and turns his head around, his eyes hazy, but he still looks Harry directly in the eyes. Wants to get this right.

“No, no please … continue with what you're doing, please. It's just that I didn't expect this”, he breathes and the sentence is mostly a moan than anything else. Relief settles over Harry's features and he just nods before grabbing his cheeks again. Louis closes his eyes, leans his head on his arms and then he can feel the warm breaths of Harry against his skin and it's already so much, he's so sensitive. He always gets a bit more like this when he's drunk, but it's never been this intense before and he briefly begins to wonder, what exactly it is, that Harry causes in him. Then there's his tongue, licking right over his hole, and all thoughts are gone.

“Been thinking about doing this since forever”, Harry groans, before he continues licking Louis' hole. His tongue is dirty, tracing little, teasing circles over his rim and in the next moments it's flatting over his hole, wet and hot. It's so good, so unexpected and so are Louis' noises, tiny and high in his throat and Louis doesn't really know, whether he's done them before. Suddenly there's the tip of a finger against him, very gentle and not pushing, just like he's waiting for permission.

“God, yes, do it already!”, Louis grunts into the pillow, his grip tight onto the sheets and his voice sounds more than begging. Harry starts pushing his finger in him and Louis welcomes him with all his tightness and heat. His finger is long and moves perfectly inside him and his tongue is licking there, where the finger disappears into Louis.

“You like it?”, Harry asks and he has no right to sound this breathless just from fingering Louis.

“Fuck me, _yes_ ”, is everything Louis can moan. Harry chuckles against his cheek, while he pushes another finger in alongside the other.

“Was planning on it, yeah.” Somehow it's possible for his voice to sound even deeper like this, breathless and rough and it purrs over Louis like a mixture of honey and lava. He moans helplessly, grip even tighter on the sheets now, and he starts moving his hips. He pushes back against Harry's finger, needs them deeper, needs them to brush his prostate, and he also ruts his painfully hard cock against the mattress, trying to get some friction. Harry ' _shhs_ ' him, his free hand tight on his hip, bringing it to a halt again.

“I like it when you're desperate”, he says and Louis wants to cry. Harry and his stupid list of things he likes about Louis and when did they become from not speaking to each other to licking each other asses? Louis doesn't care, Louis just wants Harry's dick inside him _now_. Which. Reminds him of how Harry's still fully dressed.

“Get naked, please”, he groans, while turning his head a bit to the side to get a glimpse of Harry. Who's still buried with his face between his cheeks and who's fingers are hitting Louis' prostate for the first time now. Right against it.

“Fuck, shit!”, Louis shouts and one of his legs kicks out. He's just so thankful that Liam's staying at Niall's.

“And fuck me, please”, he adds, not even the tiniest bit ashamed of how pleading he sounds. The third finger inside him seems to be answer enough. Harry scissors his finger inside him a bit, makes Louis adjust to the stretch, but he's already so _ready_ and _needy_ and he's going to burst if Harry's not giving it to him any time soon. There are a few couple of thrusts of Harry's finger right against his spot and Louis swears he's able to see stars at this point. Then … there's nothing. Harry's fingers are gone, just as his mouth and his breath and his warmth. Louis wonders fore a brief moment, whether it all was a drunk dream, but than there's the sound of clothing falling to the floor. He turns around, with his full body now, his eyes already bulging at the sight of Harry naked.

“Condoms?”, Harry asks. “Lube?” Louis blinks. He didn't really realized that he had three of Harry's long, big fingers inside him, without using any lube. Just Harry's spit and the sweat his body produces like a champion.

“Right”, he mumbles, wiping a hand over his also very sweaty forehead. Lube. Condoms. Important stuff. He needs a moment, then he nods to the bedside table. Harry smiles at him, while he climbs on the bed again, dick rock hard between his legs and god, Louis _knew_ that it's big, but to see it again now, right before he'll get the thing inside his ass, he's overwhelmed all over again. He reaches out to touch it, lays his hand around Harry's hard cock and gives it a few strokes, while Harry rustles through the drawer. Harry makes a ridiculous sound of triumph in his throat, mixed with a breathy moan, and then he's there again.

“How do you want me?”, he asks Harry and Harry's eyes shine like the star of Bethlehem, if that really was a thing. He places a hand on one of Louis' thighs, stroking it lightly while answering “I want you like this. Where I can look at you, where I can hold you.”

And that's something Louis also didn't expected. Harry says it with such a calm voice, sounds so sure of what he's asking, and Louis might loose his breath for a few seconds. He looks up at Harry and maybe there's a bit of uncertainty in his eyes. Like he's sure about what he wants himself, but not exactly about what Louis' wanting. A nod and a breathed 'okay' of Louis is everything it takes to make the uncertainty disappear.

It's while Harry's rocking slowly into him, forehead pressed to forehead, with continuously eye contact, arms tight around Louis' torso, when it finally comes to Louis. None of this is how he's imagined, none of this was ever part of a fantasy he had with Harry Styles. He always expected them, if it was to happen one day, to have angry sex, due to their work relationship, splattered with dislike of close friends, but here he is now. In Harry's arms, safely and warm and filled up in a way, Louis has never experienced before. It occurs to Louis that Harry's not fucking him. Harry, who's breathing little words of praise against Louis lips, interrupted only with soft kisses, and who feeds Louis through his eyes some of the things he seems to feel himself.

It occurs to him that Harry's not just fucking him like every guy has done before. That maybe, Harry is making love to him.

For a brief second he thinks that it's unfair, that Harry has no _right_ to make love to him, that he at least could have asked him before. But he's there, everywhere around him, and Louis has no strength to fight back.

“Harry”, he whimpers helplessly and Harry seems to understand all the things Louis' isn't able to understand himself.

“I know”, he whispers back and then there's Harry's hand between their joined bodies, wrapping around Louis' dick and it doesn't take much strokes for Louis to come hard and breathless, while Harry's making slow, sweet love to him.

**

Louis wakes up about an hour later, light tapping against his shoulder. His brain is still foggy and he feels totally knocked down. A noise, not more than a deep hum, escapes his throat and that should totally be enough of a sign to Harry that he's awake.

“Lou?” Harry asks anyway, gentle and very soft and it wouldn't wake Louis up, if he'd still be dozing against Harry's solid chest.

“Mrmph”, he makes and tries to bite Harry's nipple. His chest vibrates under Louis' body with a low chuckle. Harry's hand is in Louis hair then, stroking tenderly through it. If Louis' making tiny kitten noises, nobody needs to know. He can hear Harry take a deep breath, right before he says quietly “I need to go, Lou.”

And Louis doesn't want this. He wants him to stay here with him, in this bed, wants to be cuddled and maybe spooned. They could have some ratty breakfast together in the morning, before either talking this whole thing through or to say nothing about all of this. They'd have time for deciding how to handle this in the morning, and also, he really, really wants him to stay here with him.

“Don't”, he mumbles into Harry's chest and tightens his grip on one of his arms. He can feel Harry shuffling underneath him and suddenly Harry's sitting upright against the bed frame, with Louis half lying, half sitting against him.

“I have to”, he whispers, continuing petting his hair and then he leans down and plants a gentle kiss against Louis' forehead. “Have an early train to catch, 'm going home to Cheshire for the day. 's me mum's birthday, you know.” He moves down some more, to kiss Louis properly, but still endlessly soft, on the lips.

“Okay”, Louis hums.

“Wouldn't want to wake you this early”, another kiss, “and also I didn't pack anything yet.” Harry chuckles and Luis smiles sleepily against his skin. He's such a dork, a dork who loves his family and is as gentle as a harmless flower. Louis kind of wants to make love with him some more.

“'s really okay.” Then the wonderful petting stops and Harry's shuffling out of the bed, leaves Louis alone between the sheets.

“See you on Monday”, he can hear Harry whisper, alongside with the sound of clothes being put on. He hums something back, not sure what. The door closes and sleep falls over him almost as gentle as Harry's been to him all night.

**

When he wakes up properly in the morning it's half past eleven, his stomach is grumbling and his mobile's not showing him a message of Harry. Which Louis didn't expect, but the night contained some sorts of things he didn't expect to happen. Anyways, there's a message of Greg.

_**Mind if I come over? You forgot something here tonight.** _

Louis yawns and rolls on his back, tipping out an answer, asking him when he can be here and whether he'll bring almond croissants. About an hour later, Louis's freshly showered and he's already got some coco pops, because his tummy was rumbling like fuck. Now he's sipping at his first mug of Yorkshire, another one waiting on the counter for Greg to arrive.

Liam's still not home, the bastard went brunching with Niall and they even dared to send him pictures of their fucking delicious looking breakfast. The bell rings and Louis' looking up from the dozen of middle finger emojis he's sent both of them. He hops out of the kitchen in the corridor, to buzz Greg up, without even checking whether it's really him. He leaves the door open and strolls with both of the mugs into the living room, places them on the small table and waits.

He's leaning against the back of the couch, when Greg's finally stepping inside the room, a promising looking baker bag in his hand.

“Hi Greg”, he chirps, but Greg only nods and shoves the bag right into Louis' chest. He blinks, then just shrugs his shoulder.

“Wanna sit down?”, he offers and makes his way around the couch, throwing himself into the soft furniture. Patting the spot next to him he's looking up to Greg, an eyebrow raised. So Greg's shuffling over, while Louis' already fishing a croissant out of the bag. He takes a full mouth bite, little crumbs of dough landing on his Pauli [shirt](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/33/15/09/331509f447536de70425f10a23f00bca.jpg) with the typical skull in rainbow pattern.

“So what's what I left at yours, then?”, Louis asks between two bites, dreamingly closing his eyes because of the tasty marzipan filling. Even though he thought about it a little since he woke up, it simply didn't come to his mind. Expectantly he glances at Greg, who's frowning and generally looking pretty grumpy. Maybe it's because Louis' eating all of the almond croissants by himself. He doesn't want to, but after another look at Greg he holds one of them into his direction. “Want some?”

Greg shoots the croissant a look the poor thing definitely doesn't deserve, so Louis cradles it back to his chest, ready to eat it lovingly, right after he'll finished his other.

“It's your brain you left there, you idiot!”, Greg finally spits out and. Well. Shit. “Or why else would you leave my party with fucking Harry Styles?” Shit shit shit shit.

“Weeell”, he begins to defence himself, but he doesn't even know how to go on from this now. The thought about Greg seeing them last night hadn't even occurred to Louis in the slightest. Right now he can't even tell whether it was because of the alcohol or Harry in himself. Not that it's important any more. Greg's sighing now in front of him, looking more disappointed than furious now. “We had one rule, Louis, just _one rule_.”

Yes, one rule, Louis thinks. A totally stupid rule. Instead of saying this out loud, he just absently crumples his croissant in his hands.

“God, Louis! Both he and Nick are the rival, I _despise_ Nick and I thought you agreed with me. About Nick being a total arse!” Greg seems seconds away from throwing his hands in the air. And yes, it's true, Louis agreed, but only because Greg was at Radio 1 before Louis, same as Nick, and he saw how bad their relationship were. Also Nick seemed to have something against Louis since the beginning, probably just because him being Greg's co-host.

“And now you piss off of my party to fuck Harry? It's possibly just a plan of Nick and him to annoy me”, Greg grunts and he truly seems to believe his own, odd idea. Louis wants to throw his croissant at him. He huffs out a bitter laugh. “Do you even listen to yourself sometimes? How utterly ridiculous!”

“No but really, Louis. Doesn't it seem strange to you, how out of nowhere he's suddenly showing interest in you? How can you tell that it's not a bet he's got going on with Nick, hm? Break Louis' walls, maybe he lets you fuck him, despite of all the dislike between you? That's totally a thing Nick would do, Louis. You fucking know him!”

No, Louis can't really say that he knows Nick, but it's true. Nick _loves_ to pull pranks, the whole country knows this and often Harry's involved in them.

“Yeah, but no, Greg. Harry's totally different, he wouldn't do this”, he tells him, because unlike he does about Nick, he considers himself to know some more about Harry. “Also he truly seemed to care about me.”

Greg snorts, his eyes settling on Louis with disbelief. “He cared about you? Come on, Louis. Now tell me that you're having feelings for this guy.”

Which. No. Louis _doesn't_ have feelings for Harry, Louis can't have feelings for Harry. He's not a feelings guy and even though last night was something, it didn't meant anything. It just, couldn't. He blinks at Greg, in his mind all the moments replaying in which Harry said that he liked something about Louis. He remembers Harry being everything that mattered to him last night and he just keeps staring at Greg.

“I figured.” No. “Clear this thing, finish it.” _No._ Greg stands up, pats Louis' shoulder in a very manly way and then he leaves the room.

“We can't have it affect our work”, he says from the corridor, before he's simply gone. Louis stays behind with crumbs of croissants all over him and a confused heart to go with it.

**

Louis pulls Harry to the side right after takeover on Monday. The short moment on air was the first time they've seen each other since Saturday night and up until now the only thing they said to each other contains of simply greetings and the stuff they said on air. Greg's already on the way to their studio and Nick's still in his. It's the tea kitchen again and Louis' hates himself.

“Look”, he says to Harry and he hopes that his voice is sounding strong and certain, even though he feels anything else. And Harry really is looking at him, his eyes big and green and shiny. He actually smiles at him and Louis has to look away. It's better this way and it'll be easier when he's doing it fast.

“You know how this can't happen again? It was a one time thing, right?” He's still not looking up and he's sure he sounds pathetic.

“Two times”, is all Harry says after a brief moment and his voice is different. Something is missing.

“What?”, he asks and he doesn't want to know the answer, he wants to turn back time and be in the bed again, with Harry, safe and just the two of them, in a little bubble at night. He then looks up, finally, and tells himself that the shadow in Harry's eyes isn't because of him, that it's not some upset sadness shining out of them.

“You mean it was a two time thing”, Harry corrects him and okay. They're on the same page then. Or at least Harry's at the same page like Greg. Louis nods. “Right.” He can't stand to look at him any more, to see his now cold expression. Harry isn't the same as Saturday night and Louis doesn't want to see this Harry. He grabs his bag, lying on the floor and pulls Harry's shirt out. The smell is gone, he washed it yesterday and now he's handing it back to it's owner.

“Thank you for the shirt”, he adds, before leaving the kitchen and Harry in it. He has a show to do.

**

Louis can already hear the sounds of FIFA and loud laughing in the stairwell, as he's standing in front of the door to his and Liam's flat. How easy it'll be to just turn around, grab a kebab somewhere and only coming back home in the evening. Instead of following his will to be alone, he pushes his keys into the slot, opens the door and steps inside. Immediately he can make out the laughter as Niall's and Liam's cheering right now, maybe because of a goal he made. Both Liam and Niall have most Mondays of, so it's really no surprise to find them here.

Before his brain can even make a decision about whether he should go straight to his room or join them in the living room, his feet have already taken him to stand in the doorway. He's still in his vans and coat and it should be too hot, but somehow he still feels cold.

“You look like shit, mate”, is the first thing Liam's saying to him when he spots him, standing there helplessly between living room and corridor.

“It's because I'm feeling like shit”, he mumbles and then there's Niall next to him, taking him by his arm and leading him to the couch. He even goes in and tries to open Louis' coat for him, but Louis' not this pathetic. Or maybe he is. The coat lands on the floor, the vans get kicked underneath the small table and Louis just knows that he's just going to wear a different pair for a while now. Until someone, Liam, finds them underneath it in a few weeks during cleaning. It happened before and it'll happen again this time.

“Wanna talk about it?”, Liam asks and this time it doesn't even take beer and ice cream for Louis to open up. He tells Niall about the first time it happens, so that he's on the same track as Liam, but Niall already seemed to know. They also don't even move an eyelash about how he says that he slept with Harry after Greg's party.

“It was just so intimate, you know, nobody _ever_ before treated me like this”, he explains softly, with Liam and Niall looking at him like he's telling them about a movie they've already seen. “I mean, it's just impossible that all of this was just in my head! How he's been to me, it's not something I could have imagined, right? It was special, it really was!” He's come to the point where he might as well just cry a little. Voice being shaky and vulnerable and all.

It's Niall then, who's petting Louis' leg and looks him in the eyes and asks ”But why do you make it sound like it's a bad thing?” and Louis can't help it any more. The tears are filling up his eyes and first he tries to blink them away. Not that he's afraid of crying in front of his two best friends, he's done it before, it's just that he kind of doesn't want to fully admit his feelings to himself. As the first tear starts falling down, he just looses it.

“I – I fucked up”, he admits and it's not really a sob, but pretty close to being one. “I told him right after the takeover, how it was just a thing that happened between us, not meant to become something regular, and I … I kind of hoped that he'd disagree, fight back or something, but he didn't … he just … I think it was just a flirt for him.” He's crying for real now, his bodies shivering with little hiccups escaping his throat and he shuffles over to Liam, who's already there to cuddle him close to his chest. He misses the moment where Liam and Niall share confused looks, to buzzy sobbing into Liam's sweater.

“But it's not for you”, Liam mumbles and it's not a question. And it could be funny, how Louis went from _I think Harry might be in love with me_ and _I might feel something for him too_ to _but maybe Harry played me_ and _I'm so totally in love with him_ in less than seventy-two hours. It really could be, if it wouldn't leave him a crying mess with no solution to this on his couch.

“No”, he whimpers, maybe so quiet because he maybe still isn't ready to say it out loud, “I think I'm in love with him.” It sounds strange, just being put in the room, but he doesn't want to take it back. Liam's stroking his strong hands all over Louis' back now, comforting him, and the horrible feeling in his chest just doesn't go away.

“You've been for the most time, Lou.” And maybe Liam was right all along.

“I didn't even want to cut this whole thing off, but Greg insisted on -”

“Wait, what has Greg to do with it?”, Niall interrupts him abruptly and the petting on his back stills too.

“Greg doesn't want me to have a thing going on with him and he also told me that it all was just a joke of Harry and look, it seems like he's been right”, Louis explains, voice not only shaking from tears, but also because of anger.

“This fucker, I swear to god”, Liam hisses under his breath, right with Niall saying “Jesus fuck, you're not on Romeo and Juliet, right? This is not some fucked up theatre play, where someone can tell you what to do. The fuck, Louis, why do you even listen to him?”

“I work with him”, Louis sobs and he's crying even more now, “I don't want him to be mad at me. I don't want everything to fuck up.” Both Niall and Liam are sighing now and then Liam's shuffling out from underneath him.

“I need to go. You stay with him, Niall?”, Liam asks and Louis looks up at him with red, puffy eyes. He's already in the doorway, looking furious like hell.

“Text me if you need help”, Niall throws Liam behind and then it's just the two of them left. Louis' feeling Niall's arms around his chest and he's pulled against his side. Louis sniffles and thankfully scoots closer, needs the human contact now.

“What do you think about some nice take away? Maybe also some ice cream?”, Niall suggests and Louis just nods. He can't do anything else anyway.

**

It's the same fucking evening when Niall suddenly suggests to go out for a bit. They're both cuddled up in blankets, still on the couch, and empty food boxes are all over the place. Louis feels like shit and besides from this there's an interesting gardening show on the telly. Like. Really interesting. Plants and stuff.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Nialler? Have you even looked at me properly during the last hours?”, Louis rants and tries to somehow kick Niall's leg. He fails, the blankets are just too tightly wrapped around him. Niall just gives him an annoyed glance, before grabbing his own mobile and shoving it into Louis' face.

“Here, you shithead. You've got an invitation.” Which. _What?_

“By whom?, he grumbles and tries to focus his look on the way too bright phone screen. Which isn't really that easy, when Niall's holding the damn fucking thing just millimetres in front of his face.

“Nick”, Niall then says and manages to make it sound like it was something totally normal. This time Louis takes his actual time to wriggle both an arm and a leg out of the blankets to shove Niall the same time he kicks him.

“Stop being silly”, he snaps, because, yeah, right. Nick's asking Louis to join him on a night-out. Niall's not even reacting to this properly, just thumbs on the screen. Louis rolls his eyes, before checking it for real now, and there it is. An open chat with Nick fucking Grimshaw.

“Why is he even asking you, instead of texting me?” Louis' still somehow sceptical, but nobody can exactly blame him for this, right? He leans back into the cushion, throwing the blankets over his body all over again. Then he's shooting Niall one of his major bitch faces, waiting for a proper explanation.

“Well, he doesn't have your number. Didn't deem it as important, you know?” Niall's sounding quite reasonable and Louis may actually believe him. He haven't bothered saving Nick's number anywhere too. Sure, they're in the same group chat for work, but Nick's just a number without a name to it and if he wanted to text him – which he totally doesn't in a million years – he'd asked someone else to pass the message on. Which leaves him with the question why the fuck Nick's even having Niall's number.

“You know, I'm actually friends with him. Through Harry”, comes the answer before Louis can even ask. Niall's a fucking mind reader.

“Okay”, Louis says then, raising an eyebrow, “and why the fuck should I leave my home and meet a giant douchebag who's actually responsible for all this shit?”

“He has a thing to discuss with you.” And that's apparently everything. Niall won't Louis tell more, he's just wiggling out of the blankets and gets up. Louis' watching him from his spot on the couch rather warily, getting all the boxes together and throwing them away and stuff. Then Niall's makes his way without even asking – not that he''s ever asking – to Louis' room. Louis can hear a bit of cursing and rumbling, until Niall's coming back. Some black skinnies and a sweater in his hands. He throws them at Louis with an expecting look and fine. Louis will _maybe_ get up.

“Are you even coming with me?”, he asks Niall and then there's finally a soft smile on his lips again. He strolls over to the couch and pats Louis' head. Just like he's a tiny kitten. “Sure thing, Lou. Wouldn't let you go alone, after all of this.”

And okay, Louis' definitely going to get up now. He frees himself from the blankets, shoots Niall a half hearted smile and takes the clothes to head with them to his room. Turns out that Niall really is a good egg. It's one of his favourite skinnies and the sweater is just great. It's the used look Pauli one, extra oversized and Louis' always feeling very safe and comfy in it. It's a good choice to wear for … whatever it's going to be.

Half an hour later the both of them are making their way into a random hipster bar Nick apparently suggested. Louis somehow just waits for Nick to jump out of a corner, with a confetti gun, to laugh at him because he's been falling for Harry. What he doesn't expect is to see Nick sitting on a table, with a drink in one hand and Greg seated right across from him.

“What-”, Louis gasps, but Nick's already spotted them, waving and grinning, gesturing to head over. Slowly Louis makes his way towards them, with Niall behind him, who's smiling like an idiot. As they arrive at the table, Louis can't do much more than hold himself upright at the rest of some empty chair.

“Great that you're finally there, Louis”, Nick says and he's loud and cheerful and what the fuck is even happening right now. “Liam's on the bar right now, I think he just saw you. 's probably going to get you some drinks, too.”

Louis just blinks at him. His brain is empty, his blood is rushing and all he can think is a continuing chorus of _this doesn't make sense, this doesn't make sense at all_. It's Greg then, who's getting up and pulling Louis into a laddy hug, before guiding him to sit down. Louis' gaze keeps shooting between them and finally he blurts out:”Why are you talking with each other?”

To be honest, he quite wants to call them a good list of names, but this question is anything he can get together right now. Nick's looking at him now, like it's all really quite obvious. “Well, we decided to finally end this thing, you know? Someone -”, he does glancing not all so subtly at Niall and also towards the bar, where Liam is, “has encouraged us, that it'll be better to, like, get along with each other now. For work and … _stuff_.”

Louis' turning to Niall now, who's just sitting there, shrugging uninvolved, but also managing to looking pretty smug while doing so.

“Are you having something to do with this?”, Louis rasps towards Niall, his voice suddenly uncertain and weak. He feels like he's missing something, like he's left out on a thing from incredible importance.

“Maybe”, Liam says, right as he appears next to Louis, with three drinks clutched in his big hands. He only does spell a little of them, while placing them at the table, before settling down next to Louis. He wants to ask more, wants to be able to wrap his head about everything that's happening right now, but he only ends up with one of the drinks in his hands. He's staring in the liquid and he's not even sure, whether it contains alcohol or not. He could of course try it, but somehow he feels to numb for doing it.

“Am I late?”

Louis freezes completely now. The deep, warm voice behind him belongs to Harry, he _knows_ this, he listens to him everyday for a good amount of hours and he seems to be there and Louis doesn't understand a single thing. Slowly he turns around, looking up, and he's really, truly there, right in front of him.

“You-”, Louis breathes and then Harry's eyes are on him, confused, like he's only just recognising him. And. _Why the fuck is Harry Styles wearing Louis' rainbow striped St. Pauli[beanie](https://www.rocknshop.de/images/product_images/popup_images/FC_St_Pauli_Muetze_Regenbogen-10016_0.jpg)?_

“Why the fuck are you wearing my pride beanie?” Louis doesn't intend to sound this snappy, but what the actually fuck. His beanie, sat right on top of Harry's pretty head, curly, soft hair looking out from underneath it.

“Um”, Harry makes and Louis isn't even aware that all - Niall, Liam, Greg and Nick - are watching them with huge eyes. “I stole it from your flat the other night, October nights are quite chilly, aren't they?” He's looking pretty nervous at Louis, nibbling at his lips, hands fiddling oddly with his coat. “Also I didn't expect you to actually be here...”

“Well I could say the same”, Louis throws back and still isn't over the fact that Harry's wearing his beanie. Like. He's having any right to wear something belonging to Louis after today.

“Um, Greg said he wanted to discuss something with me?”, Harry tells him and wow. This isn't a coincidence any more. Louis turns his attention back to the actual table, with all of the guys grinning at them and actually getting up?

“I think we'll leave you with this”, Nick says and casually throws an arm around Greg's shoulder, who's wincing only a tiniest bit at the touch, just as to prove a point.

“Right”, Louis answers, long-drawn, and then there's Harry, sitting down in front of him, pealing himself out of his brown coat. Looking rather uncomfortable. The beanie stays on his head and Louis has to force himself to tear his gaze away from it.

“Right”, he repeats, beginning to chew on his thumbnail, “but why are you wearing my beanie?” Harry's first answer wasn't really what he was looking for. He just told him, why he was having his beanie.

“As I said”, Harry mumbles, “it's rather cold these days. And I think I kind of like to torture myself?” The last part only seems to be questioningly, but Louis' sure that Harry's exactly knowing what he's talking about. Torture. Why the fuck torture?

“What?” Louis isn't sure when he felt this stupid the last time. Harry's blinking at him now, before rubbing his nose. “I mean, I think I wanted to kind of torture myself, because I'm still not over what you said this morning. Hell, of course I'm not. Will probably take me a good while.”

Harry sounds suddenly angry and sad. And why does he sound like this? Wasn't he agreeing with him about them being only a random shag? Why doesn't he sound like he's still agreeing any more?

“But. You kind of agreed with me about what we are?”, Louis asks and doesn't want to see more of Harry's hurt expression.

“Fuck, Louis!”, Harry curses then and Louis kind of jumps at this. “I … I kind of wanted to say something, how I didn't like you lying, because I think you were, Lou, but then you gave me my shirt back and that. That just hurt so much, you know?” And okay, maybe Louis didn't know this morning, but he's knowing now, he can fucking see and hear it. “And I mean, Louis, it was obvious that you didn't mean it. I can tell when you're standing fully behind something and you weren't with this statement, but it just … fucking hurt so much.”

His voice gets a bit quieter now and it sounds even more vulnerable and Louis really wants to slap himself. “I'm so sorry, I'm -”

“And you know what?”, Harry interrupts him and suddenly there's Harry's hand leaning across the table, searching for Louis'. “I know what I felt Saturday night, I know what I'm feeling for a whole while now, and you can't shit me, I _know_ there was something pretty similar from your side, too! It's not something I can imagine, is it?”

Louis thinks that Harry's maybe only a second away from starting to cry in a bar and Louis just can't let that happen. Harry shouldn't be crying, ever, at any moment. His hand moves towards Harry's lying helpless on the table, before he can even control it. He folds his hand about Harry's much bigger one and squeezes and then he's looking up. Harry's eyes are on him, shimmering with light wetness and a hint of disbelief, but also hope.

“You … you changed your mind?”, Harry gasps and he shouldn't look this pretty, while being this vulnerable.

“Nah”, Louis shakes his head and he's seeing Harry's features already about to fall again. He's quick to add “but they did”, nodding towards where the others are sitting now. Making actually gestures towards them to continue.

“It's … I know how stupid this sounds, but … Greg kind of planted the thought into my head, how you're were just playing with me”, he mumbles and he already can hear Harry huff, “which I actually know is totally stupid. You're not this kind of guy. But Greg … he talked me into finishing this thing with you, and I wanted to be a good friend, didn't want to risk our good work relationship and I'm so, so stupid for doing this, Harry. I'm so sorry, believe me, I felt like shit this morning …”

He isn't brave enough to look at Harry now, is just too afraid of seeing a hint on his face about him not forgiving Louis. But then Harry's hand moves underneath Louis', turning around, to squeeze back. It's reassuring and also a yes and then Louis' looking up, to see all of this in Harry's face all over again. He even smiles one of his beautiful smiles and Louis thinks for the first time since forever that all of this could probably work out somehow.

“I like it when you're honest”, Harry says sincerely, smiling down at their joined hands. Louis's not even trying to keep the flush from starting to creep up his neck. “And of course you've hurt me and we have to talk this through some more, like definitely, but I'm forgiving you. I just really, really want this, you know?”

“Yeah?”, Louis smiles back, shyly, and with a disgustingly good feeling in his chest.

“Yeah, I really want to keep this beanie. It's a good one”, Harry grins and then they're both laughing at each other, crinkly eyes and fond faces. “And I think you're quite okay, too.”

“So it's settled then?” It's really an unnecessary question, to be honest, but to see Harry's smile growing even bigger is so totally worth it. And his answer is even better. Instead of actual words, Harry just gets up from his chair and leans over the full table, his hands reaching for Louis' cheeks, kissing him right in the middle of a random bar. They might actually not be on Romeo and Juliet, but Louis still feels like being in a ridiculous love movie. He figures that there are definitely worse things in life.

**

On the day it happens for the first time with them being a couple, it's raining outside and they're drinking cacao on Harry's big and comfy couch. It all starts as Louis accidentally spills a cup over Harry's shirt, laughing at him while doing so. Not much later Harry's snogging him, chest naked, and Louis' breathing hard underneath him. Harry has one hand down Louis' joggers, massaging him through his pants and Louis' just helplessly wrapping his legs around Harry's lean back.

He's still wearing one of his Pauli sweaters, when Harry's fucking him from behind, Louis' front leaning against the rest, Harry's strong arms wrapped around Louis' chest and holds him tight to his own. Somehow Louis thought that Harry would be different this time, maybe a little more fierce with him. His thrust are actually a bit harder and faster now, but he's still so lovingly and gentle and nothing Louis' ever had before him.

“I like loving you”, Harry whispers then into his ear. He says it for the first time and Louis' only a whimpering, shaking mess in his arms now.

“Me too, me too”, he mumbles breathless, right before coming all over the cushion, with Harry taking care of him. He's never been into the gentle stuff at sex before, but with Harry, it's just right, and if it means that vanilla sex is always like this with him, he can definitely wait for the kinky sex to come. He can wait for the world, for all that matters. Harry's everything he needs right now anyway.

 

**Author's Note:**

> come say hello on [tumblr](http://zitronenfaltermaedchen.tumblr.com/) x


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